CSU

CSU football: Rams quarterback Garrett Grayson a leader first

Junior's goal is to keep CSU offense up to speed

By Mike Brohard

Sports Editor

Posted:
03/18/2014 10:49:44 AM MDT

While his 2013 numbers make him one of the best quarterbacks returning to the Mountain West next season, it will be Garrett Grayson's ability to lead and teach a young offense this spring that will mean the most to the Rams. Spring practice begins March 25. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Garrett Grayson by the numbers

Yardage: He set the CSU single-season mark of 3,696 yards in 2013; he is 1,959 away from the career record of Kelly Stouffer.

Touchdowns: The 23 he threw last year tied the single-season mark of Justin Holland; with 20 more, he passes Moses Moreno on that list.

League standing: No returning quarterback in the Mountain West threw for more yards or touchdowns than did the CSU junior.

Total package: His 455 yards of total offense against Boise State stands as the school record, surpassing the 416 of Bradlee Van Pelt. Grayson completed a school-record 31 passes in the game.

The response came with no hesitation.

No thought, no pause. It's humble, but absolute.

When Weston Richburg was around, Garrett Grayson ceded control for the most part. But as the 2013 season wore on, Richburg started to clear room for the quarterback, and now the stage belongs to the Vancouver, Wash., product.

A reluctant leader in the past, Grayson knows the Rams need a strong presence to front the team with so many missing pieces, and he's ready for the responsibility.

"I am," Grayson said flatly.

The job is his, but not by default or declaration. He earned it.

Advertisement

He did so by shouldering the blame for whatever went wrong on offense — and sometimes on defense. His teammates respect that, and often tell him he doesn't have to bear the brunt of the blame. When he struggled early in the year, he held himself accountable, even when a slew of dropped passes could have done wonders for his confidence, let alone move the chains at key moments.

He didn't eat and he didn't give up. Peers take notice of such things.

"I think Garrett is definitely ready to be the main leader, and he needs to be the guy everybody looks to," tackle Ty Sambrailo said. "It's been fun watching him develop, not only as a quarterback, but also as a leader that everyone looks up to."

By the end of a season that saw the Rams go 8-6 with a comeback-for-the-ages New Mexico Bowl win over Washington State, Grayson put up record numbers. His 3,696 yards were a program record, and his 23 touchdown passes tied the season mark. He's on pace to climb the career charts, too.

But while his physical gifts will mean more come Aug. 30 in the season opener against Colorado, they are not what will serve the Rams best come March 25.

His ability to lead, teach and direct will be vital, and coach Jim McElwain is comfortable his offense is in good hands.

"He's done a good job. Where we're at in the spring, each position group really needs to hone in on bringing the leadership out of each group. In his case, being at that position, he can have control over the whole offense," McElwain said. "In the O-line, we need somebody to step up. Ty will be there and that's huge, but it will be really good this spring (with him not practicing) as the other guys develop the chemistry. Same thing in the tight end room. The receiver room is pretty good. Running back should be all right. Some of those other areas need to develop that, and then Garrett needs to bring it all together."

As spring begins, the Rams will be looking to replace four starting offensive linemen and will be technically playing with a complete new front as Sambrailo heals from offseason surgery. They are looking for two new tight ends, a running back to step into the record-setting production of Kapri Bibbs and a trio of redshirt freshmen receivers need to be brought up to speed.

"It's critical for him. This is his time to shine," offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dave Baldwin said of Grayson. "That's probably the key thing he has to do. He's going to have to adjust wide receivers. He's going to have to make sure the back's footwork is right. He has to talk to the offensive line. He's got to be that guy. It's teacher/coach/quarterback. We've always taught the best at the position of quarterback is a guy who makes everybody around him better. That's his job this spring."

Grayson isn't oblivious to his responsibilities at all. In fact, he's already started making inroads. After Ram U sessions, he would throw with the young wideouts. Or he would meet with Baldwin in the film room to go over defenses. He plans on meeting with line coach Derek Frazier to get the offensive line calls down pat.

In short, he wants to know everything, be every offensive player's information booth.

He knows mistakes will be made, even though the Rams are at their most basic in the spring. He'll have to scold and encourage, and while it can be a hard line to walk, Grayson said he knows the difference.

For the spring, he has but one goal.

"To improve every day. We're going to be installing from Day One, the most basic of the basic of offense," he said. "I don't want to let us get behind schedule and have Coach Mac have to take a day to reinstall stuff. Even though he already kind of does that, I don't really want to slow it down. If people have questions, I'll stay after with them and meet with them whenever we can. I don't want to lose a spring practice, because we're only allowed 15.

"The biggest thing is to improve every day and everybody walk off the field feeling confident about themselves."

Grayson will enter spring with that in himself. In a quarterback-driven Mountain West, he went from an afterthought to first tier. Not that he's satisfied.

Like a lot of young quarterbacks, he reads about Peyton Manning constantly, and what he's picked up is the learning never stops, that looking at a bit of film each day brings about more knowledge about a defense or a coverage and how to attack.

Baldwin likes that. He also wants more consistent footwork and better accuracy on deep balls.

Grayson has those items on his list, too, right next to knowing everything about everything.

It's a lot to ask, but the truth is, nobody asked Grayson.

He just knew.

"Before, I always thought this was Weston's team, and I didn't want to step on anybody's toes," he said. "Now that he's gone, somebody has to step up, and I want to be that guy."